Microsoft Tag

New Blog for Microsoft Tag, follow us!

bgauth — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:37:00 GMT

Tag community,

I'm glad to announce that we’ve moved our official Microsoft Tag blog under our new website. You can now follow our latest news regarding Microsoft Tag and 2D barcode world here.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook :) See you over there!

Beyond Beta: Microsoft Tag Takes Off

Nadialy — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:01:29 GMT

It has been 18 months since we launched Microsoft Tag, Microsoft’s mobile barcode technology. In that time, more than one billion Tags have been printed by people and businesses all over the world. In the month of April alone, more than 20 million magazines with Tags were in the hands of U.S. consumers.

Today, I am thrilled to announce Tag is coming out of beta and that basic use of Tags will be free of charge. This specifically means you will be able to generate and use Tags that link to our standard scenarios and use the reader application at no cost. By simply going to Tag.Microsoft.com, you can create Tags and deliver rich interactive experiences on mobile phones, track your Tags and read about how companies like Conde Nast and others are using Tag.

Based on feedback we’ve heard from businesses using Tag, we also plan to offer the ability to create richer, more powerful, and more effective solutions and experiences through a variety of value-added services, such as advanced reporting and analytics and real-time location services. We will add these and other value-added features over time.

What does this transition mean for Tag? Let me step back for a moment to explain how we got here. Since launching Tag, users have told us that they love how it opens doors for them to access rich digital experiences that enhance their lives. Businesses have told us that with Tag, they can reach a deeper level of engagement with their customers. Time and time again, we’ve gotten the message that people around the world are ready for the broad deployment of this technology.

We’ve already seen a lot of enthusiasm for Tag among marketers, developers and consumers as well as a diverse range of creative scenarios using Tag—in industries as varied as publishing, advertising, retail, real estate, transit, automotive, consumer packaged goods, tourism and entertainment. Whether it’s Golf Digest demonstrating the perfect swing, Fearless Records connecting fans to new music and info about their favorite bands, Avatar showcasing its movie trailer, or a Tag on your morning box of Wheaties, Tag is increasingly making the world around us clickable.

Just this week, Amsterdam became the second city with a Tag-led tour, with Tags on monuments, museums, restaurants, bars, and other landmarks. The Mall of America, in Minnesota, just announced plans to use Tag to help enhance customer engagement and give retailers an interactive tool to promote their products. These are just a few examples, and by staying connected through our blog and Tag communities on Facebook and Twitter, you can discover many more ways to use Tag to increase the effectiveness of your marketing and create a powerful experience for your customers.

Coming out of beta we’ve updated our website, the Tag Campaign Manager and improved our Tag Reader clients and also introduced some cool new features that will enhance customers’ ability to create, execute and track creative Tag campaigns:

A device ID feature will allow marketers to deliver a more personalized consumer experience across multiple Tags. For example, consumers can now receive customized content, such as a coupon or other offer from a retail outlet, based on Tags they’ve previously scanned
A new .tag file format will make it easier to print and manage a large number of different Tags as part of a broad campaign deployment. Developers of professional printing programs can now generate the Tag graphic on the fly as part of their solution
Tag has always been available worldwide and has been distributed and deployed globally. We have added localization in five new languages which include: French, Spanish, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Italian
And finally, we will be introducing a beta Heat Map feature in the next few days, available in the Tag Campaign Manager, that will help companies better measure Tag usage by location and make more informed decisions about their Tag campaigns and overall marketing spend

You can find more about how to implement these features and more over at the Microsoft Tag website.

Just imagine a world where any physical object can become a gateway to a world of digital content and engagement: You scan a product in a newspaper, get a personalized offer, buy it on the spot, or get directions to the store to buy it later; Or you scan a poster for a play, see a preview of the performance, invite friends, and buy tickets. This is what Tag can do for you, for your users, for your marketing campaign, and for your business. All you have to do is simply click on things in your physical world to make your world interactive on the spot.

-Aaron Getz, General Manager, Microsoft Tag

The Tag Reader localized in Simplified Chinese:

@Microsoft Tag Twitter Contest – Starts Now!

Nadialy — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:23:00 GMT

Today @MicrosoftTag is starting a new #TagTuesday contest. What does this mean? It means that every Tuesday for the next 12 weeks we will pick one lucky Tweeter as a winner.

This time around we are giving away 12 HP Mini 311 Netbooks. One every week for the next Twelve weeks!

So how can you enter to get one of these fancy Netbooks?

All you have to do is:

1- Follow @MicrosoftTag on Twitter

2- Tweet: I just entered to WIN 1 of 12 HP Mini Laptops. Just follow @MicrosoftTag and RT to enter! http://ow.ly/1Ja1S #contest

Every week on Tuesday, we will give one HP Netbook away. Every Tweet you tweet counts as one entry into the contest.

For Official Rules Click Here

Have any questions? Just ask @MicrosoftTag on Twitter

Join our Community : Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Create Your Own Tag: Tag.Microsoft.com

Microsoft Tag Scavenger Hunt at Web 2.0

Nadialy — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:38:25 GMT

This week at Web 2.0 in San Francisco, Microsoft Tag is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt.
People are able to hunt around for nine different Tags. Each Tag has three random prizes attached to them. People who scan these Tags have a great chance of winning an HD Zune or an Xbox game. The first two contestants who scan each nine Tags will win one of two Xbox Elite Gaming Systems.

So how do you get started?

Well first make sure that you are a registered Web 2.0 attendee.

Then:

Download Microsoft Tag to your smart phone
Then, beginning Monday, start deciphering our nine clues. Each clue represents a location where we have a Tag for you to snap. When you snap a Tag, you'll be notified that you snapped the Tag successfully.
Instant Prizes: we'll have three instant, random winners at each location. If you're a winner, you'll be asked for your contact info. Then you will receive a confirmation email. Winners must collect their prize from the Web 2.0 Expo Registration Help Desk in Moscone West registration by 12 noon on Thursday, May 6.
Grand Prizes: The first two attendees who successfully check-in and snap a Tag at each of our 9 locations will win one of our two grand prizes.

The Clues (These are the clues to where the Tags are)

So, what are you waiting for? Well, you have to wait until Monday, but then, see below for the clues to our nine locations. You can solve the clues and snap the tags in any order.

We'll keep this one easy—go to the top of this page to find the first tag.
Visit this booth to thank them for supplying the great prizes and technology for the Web 2.0 Expo scavenger hunt.
Get ahead in the Web 2.0 Expo scavenger hunt by stopping by this art display on the Expo Floor.
Stop by this space where attendees create the conversation. It's Open Tuesday and Wednesday.
10 minute presentations by our sponsors and exhibitors—visit this spot on the show floor for another chance to win a great prize!
Where can you see Ben Huh, Chris Anderson and Hilary Mason? Enter here to find out.
Make sure to stop by this table near registration to make your badge pretty.
Visit this company's booth—spreading knowledge is their motto, and oh yeah, they Co-Produce Web 2.0 Expo too!
No lizards or lemurs in this part of Expo Hall—just great examples of up-and-coming Web 2.0 companies

Let us know if you find a Tag or need any help!

Join our Community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Microsoft Tag is now in TV Guide

Nadialy — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:28:13 GMT

TV Guide is going live with Microsoft Tag in their May 3^rd issue which is already available on newsstands. The TV listings magazine boasts an audience of more than 15 million and according to its Tag instructions the magazine offers “fantastic videos, like behind-the-scenes footage of last week’s men of NCIS cover.”

The publication has a total of 8 Tags and most of the Tags, when resolved, link to “Cubicle Confessions” & Photo shoots

Below are some examples of Microsoft Tag in TV Guide.

When scanned this Tag reveals this YouTube experience with The Men of NCIS! Michael Weatherly, Mark Harmon and Sean Murray!

Below is another example of Microsoft Tag in Tv Guide:

When this Microsoft Tag is scanned it reveals this YouTube experience of Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy

Fearless Records & Microsoft Tag

Nadialy — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:52:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: The following blog post is from our friends at Fearless Records.

Fearless Records loves the idea that music can instantly be in the palm of your hands with the snap of one simple picture.

Four months ago we started using tagging as a new way to market our artists, their music, merchandise, contests and more. We were impressed by how the technology could transform everyday music needs into live links for the latest information right in the palm of your hand.

We couldn’t think of a better way to directly communicate with audience. What we know already about these kids is that they live with their cell phones, sleep with their cell phones, go to class with their cell phones and go out with their cell phones so utilizing the tag made perfect sense. Fearless Records has launched many campaigns focusing on education, awareness, and repetition. The label is using the technology to simply interact with fans in a variety of new and exciting ways. We have used MS Tags in print and online advertisements, social sites, video content, posters, merchandise catalogs, music samplers and more!

Our biggest success with Microsoft Tag came with fully integrating the technology into a large campaign surrounding our latest Punk Goes... compilation release, Punk Goes Classic Rock. Punk Goes Classic Rock is the ninth edition of the highly-successful and internationally known Punk Goes... series. We utilized MS Tags throughout advertisements, posters, merchandise, social sites and in the video trailer. This overall interactive experience has lead to the growth in our album pre-sale along with added interest to the artists involved with the compilation which is exactly what we wanted.

We have also had other success stories including the online usage of MS Tags for our artists Every Avenue and Artist Vs Poet. We easily executed their campaigns by having the artists create MS Tag instructional videos, placing several MS Tags online, and then encouraging our fans to run around online and interact with these tags. These simple interactions not only excited fans but also the band and the label.

Joyce Mealey, Fearless Records

New Wheaties Boxes & Tag

Nadialy — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:44:00 GMT

Wheaties cereal has rolled out some really cool boxes with Olympians such as Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn and Seth Wescott on them. Also on the side of these boxes you can find Tags. When the Tags are scanned you are taken to a social mobile experience. Users are able to follow Wheaties on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. You can also find out more information about the product.

Below is a snapshot of the mobile experience users will see on their phone:

Create your own Tag : tag.microsoft.com

Follow Tag on Twitter: @MicrosoftTag

Join our Community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Real Estate, Windermere & Tag

Nadialy — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:05:00 GMT

Local Real Estate Agency Windermere have done a wonderful job using Tag for their listed homes. Above you can see that a sign in front of a home for sale has a Tag on it. This is great for so many reasons.

1- Pamphlets can get wet or blown away

2- Saves paper

3- The interested person now has the house information on their mobile phone (less chance of losing the info)

4- People instantly have access to more information about the home including photos and other media

Windermere says the Tag us is in the pilot stage right now, with most of these Tags being used in Seattle. If you scan the tag you can get all of the home's listing details such as price, bedrooms/bathrooms, pictures and contact info. Windermere says it also plans to use tags in its print media advertising, which will link to the company's website.

"The intent is to engage our customers with instant, interactive information. We will closely watch the activity generated during the pilot period and come up with additional ways to integrate Tag into our business practice."
- John Jones, Chief Operations Officer at Windermere

Below you can see an example page of what a user will see when they scan the Tag of a certain home:

A great article from a Windermere Real Estate Agent on Tag: Read Here

Let us know if you found your dream house using Tag !

Join our Community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Microsoft Tag in Entertainment Weekly

Nadialy — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:08:00 GMT

This week Entertainment Weekly published its Summer Movie Preview issue which uses Microsoft Tag to allow readers to view official trailers of 16 featured films via their mobile phones.

In addition to the 16 movie trailers, there are also advertising tags from (Absolut, HBO, The History Channel, Honda, and CTAM/Movies on Demand) included in the issue.

This is a great way for any filmmaker to take their print posters/movie covers to an interactive level. Allowing the filmmaker to point the interested party to whatever content they choose, whether it be a trailer, movie times, biography or something creative. This really helps people understand more about the movie before they make their decision.

Have you seen Tag on any movie posters? How would you like to see the film industry use Microsoft Tag?

The following Tag shown above takes the user to the following Trailer for the movie:

Create your own Tag : tag.microsoft.com

Join our Community : Facebook/MicrosoftTag

Tag & Chicago Skyscrapers

Nadialy — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:10:00 GMT

If you are in Chicago you must check out this new implementation of Microsoft Tag, we saw in the Chicago Tribune today. There is a new walking tour of historical buildings in Chicago that allow users to use Tag to download more information about the site they are at, complete with a map information about ten early Chicago skyscrapers.

The Chicago-based Society for Architectural Historians expects the Microsoft Tag tour to be up and running this weekend in time for its annual convention in Chicago from April 21 - 25.

IAmAt.mobi : Location Based Network Uses Tag to Check-In

Nadialy — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:40:00 GMT

We are always looking for interesting ways that others have used Tag for themselves or business.

http://IAmAt.mobi is a startup website out of Arizona, that serves two different purposes: a mobile community and a directory listings site. The greatest feature is the community behind the directory listings.

Much unlike other location-based networks, where people use GPS to locate their whereabouts, they will scan Microsoft Tags to identify their location. Locations are able to sign up with IAmAt.mobi to create a listing for them in the directory. Location based networking is very popular right now and we are happy to see that Tag has made its way into this area.

Users are able to rate each listing, comment, share and much more. The site is currently limited to locations in Arizona, however, it’s a very creative implementation of Tag, which is expected to grow.

What’s unqiue about using Microsoft Tag with location based networking is that it makes the experience more interactive. As the user has to scan a Tag before they are able to interact with the community or provide their location.

If you want to know about a restaurant you are visiting and they have an IAmAt sign in front, you scan the Microsoft Tag on the sign with your mobile phone and you will be directed to the listing. On the page, you can rate and comment on the location. You will also be able to communicate with your favorite social networking sites about the location right from your mobile phone.

Below is an example of an I Am At sign that would be placed at a location. They are pretty big and can’t really be missed. Snap the Tag and you will see that you are taken to the location page and can rate, comment and soon share on your current social networks

Microsoft Tag is available to all. To create your own tag, simply go to http://tag.microsoft.com and start spreading the joy. Just remember to let us know how you are using Tag so we can showcase it on our blog. If you’re a developer interested in more information about Tag API, please visit the Microsoft Tag Developer Center.

Join our community : Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Woman’s Day Brings Microsoft Tag Technology to Editorial Features and Advertisements

Nadialy — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:10:00 GMT

Today Woman’s Day magazine announced that they will begin using Microsoft Tag technology, starting with their May 2010 issue on newsstands now. The May, July, September and November 2010 issues will feature Tags, which will provide readers with a more impactful and interactive experience. Tags included in the issues will enable Woman’s Day readers to gain instant access to sweepstakes, recipes, coupons and more from their mobile phone.

“We are thrilled to work with Microsoft Tag to make Woman’s Day’s interactive issues richer than ever before by enabling our readers to connect directly with our advertisers’ creative,” said Carlos Lamadrid, Senior VP/Chief Brand Officer for Woman’s Day. “By bringing Microsoft Tag to Woman’s Day readers, we are both elevating the consumer experience and delivering targeted consumer interaction to our advertisers.”

If you don’t already have the Microsoft Tag reader on your phone, download it for free by going to http://gettag.mobi on your mobile browser.

Rockstars, Razorfish & Tag

Nadialy — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:25:00 GMT

At SXSW 2010 during the Microsoft event at Speakeasy in Austin,TX. There was a very interesting augmented reality demo put on by Razorfish. They created a very fun and unique experience for Microsoft guests. People were able to stand in front of a camera and choose a certain theme that would layover their image on a screen. They could choose to augment their figure by selecting themes suchs as Kiss, The Jacksons, Rockstars and more. The other interesting aspect is how they would share these images with the people who were participating. Once the picture had been taken people were able to snap a Tag. This would lead the user to a live feed on Flickr. Allowing users to grab the photos directly on their mobile or pc.

Below is a great video example of how this all works: (You will see Tag around the 1 minute mark)

Join our community: Facebook.com/MicrosoftTag

Create your own Tag: Microsoft.com/Tag

Tag Showcased on CBS Early Show!

Nadialy — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:39:00 GMT

Watch CBS News Videos Online

The clip above was shown today on the CBS Early Show. CNET's Natali Del Conte discussed how QR codes may change the future of advertising and how consumers can scan the codes with their cell phones to receive information on their mobile phone. Although the segment focused mostly on the QR code, Natali did show off several Microsoft Tag examples in magazines such as Self, Details and Golf Digest, video games like Halo Wars and even a We The Kings promotional music poster. Having the Tag reader on your phone allows you to read any Microsoft Tag that you may come across. It's easy to distinguish a Tag from a QR code:

QR Code Microsoft Tag

It's important to note that the QR code was developed over 14 years ago in Japan and Microsoft Tag is a new technology, released just last year, which offers a number of improvements vs QR code technology.

The great thing about Tag is that anyone can easily create a Tag at http://tag.microsoft.com and you are able to view the analytics of each tag you create, such as how many people have scanned the Tag. Another cool feature Tag offers is the ability to change the experience behind the Tag. For example, if you create a Tag to direct friends to your Twitter page, you can go back and change the URL behind the Tag to direct friends to your Facebook page instead, without having to create an entirely new Tag. Additionally, you can opt to create a customized Tag using a logo or picture

Above is an example of a Custom Tag

Click here to read more on the differences between Tag and QR Codes, and experience Tag for yourself, while perfecting your golf swing, by snapping this Tag from Golf Digest Magazine:

When snapped, this Tag will take you to a video sequence showcasing a golf swing that Y.E. Yang used to beat Tiger Woods.

Download the free Microsoft Tag reader application by typing http://gettab.mobi into your mobile phone browser and get started making your own Tag today by visiting http://microsoft.com/tag

Hear It Live Mobile Magazine

Nadialy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:33:00 GMT

Hear it live Mobile Music Magazine is an iPhone application that uses Microsoft Tag to bring the world of Live Local Music right into the palm of your hands.

On the Hear-It-Live Website you can see upcoming shows from different artists, and as you can see above, you are able to click on a certain artist’s Tag. When snapped, the Tag integrates with the Hear-It-Live Mobile Application and the user is taken to the artist page on the application. Here you can see the artist’s Twitter stream, biography, music and upcoming shows. (See below).

The implementation of Tag acts as the portal between the website and mobile application. Directing users to the specific artist they are interested in. What other ways could you foresee app developers using Microsoft Tag?

Make your own Tag at : www.Microsoft.com/Tag

<!--[if gte vml 1]>

SXSW Tag contest Winner!

Nadialy — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:09:00 GMT

Above: David Fisher (middle) is awarded $5,000 for having 50 people scan his unique tag during SXSW.

During SXSW Microsoft Tag held a very cool contest. People were able to register into the contest and grab their own unique Tag. Their task was to get as many snaps of their own Tag as possible. Contestants were able to see real time standings online. The person with the most scans on Monday March 15, 2010 won $5,000.00! Not that hard right? Well it was close competition between two contestants. Throughout the contest they were usually only 5 scans away from each other.

The big winner was David Fisher with a total of 50 scans! We conducted a quick interview about his experiences with Tag and the contest.

1- How did you hear about the contest?

I was walking by the Microsoft lounge at SXSW and I saw someone with a shirt on that said, "Win $5000, ask me how". I approached them and asked. When she filled me in on the details and showed me the app I thought, "I can do that".

2- What was your experience of downloading the app, scanning it, etc.

Downloading Tag Reader on the iPhone was an effortless process. I was able to get people going with the app in less than 30 seconds.

3- Have you seen Tag before, have you seen it after the contest?

I'm pretty sure I had see Tag before, but I wasn't sure how it was different than other 2D barcodes. I'm still catching up after SXSWi and haven't seen them around yet but they will catch my eye certainly in the future.

4- How did you go about getting your scans?

Around 80% of my scans came from walking up to people in person and getting their attention. You'd be shocked at how willing people are to help another person win $5,000 if their effort is minimal. The other 20% came from hitting up some of my friends and coworkers on Skype and getting them to scan my tag from the computer screen. I thought about posting it to Twitter, but Twitter is just too noisy. I have a strong following, but people rarely do things unless you reach out to them personally.

5- How did people react when you introduce them your contest Tag?

People were mainly curious of how it was different from other 2D code readers- the main differences that people grabbed onto were that it scans a lot faster than others, and the location awareness opens up lots of possibilities.

6- Were you nervous that there was someone in second very close to your number of scans?

I wasn't nervous as much as just more driven. I went to a lounge where I knew there would be a reasonable amount of foot traffic, but people would be relaxed and not doing anything specifically. There were groups of 3-4 people talking and I would just approach them and try to get all of them at once. Since Tag Reader is on almost every platform, and not just the iPhone, it wasn't difficult to get people onboard.

7 – Do you plan to use Tag from now on? If yes, How?

Definitely! When I come across a Tag, I doubt my curiosity could stop me from seeing what it holds.

8- Where would you like to see Tag in the future?

I'm hoping to see it in magazines and newspapers, but also in storefronts. Since the Tag is location aware if I scanned an item, I suppose it could even tell me where I could buy one locally.

9 – Something to add?

Standing out during SXSWi is rather difficult but Microsoft did a great job of standing tall even with the heavily Apple and iPhone-centric crowd. I picked up a demo of Expression Studio and it seems very likely that my company, imVOX, is now going to move over to it for our application development and design for Windows.

Microsoft Tag Reader update now available for Windows Mobile

Nadialy — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT

We have just released an update to Microsoft Tag Reader for Windows Mobile users.

The update improves the experience for Windows Mobile touch screen devices as well as lengthens the legacy support for phones as early as the original Blackjack running Windows Mobile 5. As you know, we’re always improving the function and capability of Microsoft Tag and so it is important to keep your Tag application current and updated. This will help you have the best and most up to date experience possible.

In particular this latest update addresses a Tag Reader installation bug with Windows Mobile 5.0 based devices such as:

Blackjack
Dpod S900
HTC 3300
HTC Kaiser
IPAQ 69xx
Motorola q9h
Palm Treo 700x
PPC6700
Xda Atom Exec

Also, Windows Mobile Touch devices that don’t offer a hardware key or ENTER button, such as the Acer Neo Touch, HTC HD2 & Touch 2, are now able to run Microsoft Tag Reader as well.

Microsoft encourages customers using the aforementioned devices to download the update today. To update your phone go to http://gettag.mobi page on your mobile browser. You will then be prompted to update your current version of Tag.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach us on Facebook or Twitter

Stride Gum Mystery Tag Packs!

Nadialy — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:51:00 GMT

Have you seen this Stride Mega Mystery pack? Are you wondering what the big mystery is?

Inside these special gum packs are a Microsoft Tag. Consumers are able to scan the Tag with their mobile phone
and are taken to the Stride Mega Mystery Page, where they can register to unveil a mystery offer.
Want to know what the mystery is? Go buy a pack and find out!

This is the first time we have seen a Microsoft Tag inside a pack of gum.
We have seen Tag in magazines, posters, badges, business cards and more.

More and more companies are starting to show interest in using Tag for contest and other promotions.

Stride is able to see how successful their campaign is by looking at the analytics we offer in the Tag backend.
Every Tag that anyone creates is able to see the statistics. You can see how many scans a Tag has had on any specific day.

Would you like to do something similar to Stride? You can make a Tag for yourself, company , events and much more!

Go to www.microsoft.com/tag and sign up for an account

It takes minutes to get your first Tag going and it's completely free!

Location, Foursquare & Microsoft Tag

Nadialy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:50:00 GMT

Recently at SXSW Microsoft Tag partnered with Foursquare. We released over Ten Thousand custom Tags to the crowds.
When these special tags were scanned by a mobile they directed the user to check- in at SXSW on Foursquare.

This is a great way for anyone to direct mobile users to a locatoin check-in.
Anyone can use this feature with ease and implement it in their own Tags!

Go ahead and scan the above tag!

Long Island Bride and Groom & Microsoft Tag

Nadialy — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:24:00 GMT

Long Island Bride and Groom is the first local wedding publication in the New York/Long Island Area to utilize Tag. Long Island Bride and Groom Magazine recently published their 2010 Edition with over 125 Tags featured in both advertisements and editorial content. Ads throughout the magazine include Tags directing brides to more information and mobile websites. “When we first learned about Tag, we demonstrated it to both Brides and Advertisers and had a great response before we implemented it in the magazine. Long Island Bride and Groom is always looking for new and innovative ways to reach brides utilizing the latest technology and Microsoft Tag was a natural choice,” says Stuart & Marie Freeman, publishers of Long Island Bride & Groom Magazine. “Our printer was so impressed and intrigued with the technology that they printed extra copies of the magazine so they could introduce Tag to other publishers.”

Click Long Island Bride and Groom to see the digital version of the magazine.

Win $5,000 with Microsoft Tag @SXSW!

Nadialy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:54:00 GMT

Win $5,000 with Microsoft Tag @SXSW!

Are you attending SXSW 2010 in Austin, TX this year? Well then do we have a great contest for you!
During the Interactive portion of SXSW Microsoft Tag will be putting on a very cool contest.

We will have 4000 unique Tags for 4000 lucky people. How do you become one of these lucky people? Starting March 12, 2010, look for the Microsoft Tag street team! They will inside the Austin Convention Center to help you register for the contest and provide you with a unique Microsoft Tag.

Once you have your Tag your mission begins. Go and find as many people as you can to “snap” your Tag!
It’s very easy – the person with the most scans wins!

We’ll have a site up and running to display (in real time) the top 20 contestants so you can see where you stand. The person with the most scans by 6:00 pm on Monday, March 15 wins!

One scan per mobile phone, please. Multiple scans from the same mobile phone will automatically be voided.

Contest begins Friday, March 12, 2010 and ends Monday, March 15, 2010 at 6pm.

Have you entered our contest to win 5k at SXSW?

You can see the standing for the contest here:

http://sxsw.tagme.aviaxi.com/tagme/howgozit

Want to enter the contest?

We are on the 4th floor of the Austin Convention Center in the Silverlight booth.
Find our street team to get your unique Tag and register for the contest.

Good luck to all!

Winners will be announced at The Microsoft Party on March 15^th 2010 which is at Speakeasy, 412 Congress.

Winner must be present to win.

Here’s how the contest will work:

Tour Turin, Italy on your mobile with Microsoft Tag

Nadialy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:12:00 GMT

I love to travel – I’m addicted to the thrill of immersing myself in a culture that isn’t my own – getting to know the people, their language, their food, their history, their terrain. I especially love learning all I can about sites and their stories which is why I have a large and heavy collection of tour books! But, I’ve discovered it’s a problem (and a health hazard as my companions will tell you) lugging all of these books around. At times, I find myself frantically trying to flip through hundreds of pages to find information on sites instead of just taking them in.

Today, the Italian city of Torino is helping people like me (and my companions’ sanity) by unveiling Microsoft Tags at monuments and tourist attractions. If you want to know more about a certain attraction, just scan the associated Microsoft Tag via your mobile phone and you’re automatically connected to online resources explaining everything you’ll ever need to know. The Tags will be available at 10 different sites around the city – see the map below for details:

Differences between Microsoft Tag and QR Code

bgauth — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:14:41 GMT

If you’ve been keeping up with Microsoft Tag in the news, I’m sure that by now you’ve seen Tag compared to QR codes—a common mobile barcoding technology that has been in use widely in various applications for a while now. While the basic idea is the same—a printed 2D code that you can snap with your camera phone to link to online content and information—there’s a lot of important differences when compared to Tag that these comparisons don’t tell you.

So, how is Tag different from QR codes?

For use in printed materials, Tag allows a much smaller size than other formats like QR codes—when you’re designing marketing collateral or ads and every last bit of space has to count, this can be a big deal. And the size of Tags is the same regardless of the length of your URL or message.
With a traditional 2D code, you’re locked into one look, unable to add much individual ‘flavor’ or brand identity. With Tag, the option to make Custom Tags lets you fully integrate your brand’s personality into the Tag itself, creating colorful, visually exciting codes that don’t distract from your message.
QR codes carry with them a very wide and potentially confusing range and number of different code scanners, which don’t necessarily all work consistently with all major phone operating systems. Tag gives you a single reliable solution for mobile tagging across Windows Mobile, J2ME, iPhone, Blackberry and Symbian S60 phones (and just as of last week, Android phones too!).
Many Smartphone cameras aren’t always the most reliable or highest in quality, which can lead to frustration trying to get an accurate capture of a standard QR code that won’t read right on your low-megapixel camera. The sophisticated technology powering Tag (called High Capacity Color Barcodes, or HCCBs) was designed specifically to deal with the limitations of cameras on mobile phones, delivering an accurate scan even with a blurred shot, low-quality lens, or lack of camera auto-focus.
Finally, with most 2D barcodes, once you create and use them, accessing details like how many times they’re scanned and who is scanning them can be difficult or impossible. Much like how you can manage online ad campaigns, Tag’s advanced analytics let you know exactly how, when, and where your Tags are being used, and let you change the content behind them with the click of a button—giving you complete oversight and control.

But enough from us—what are some differences you’ve noticed between Tag and other 2D barcodes?

Wakeboarding Magazine using Microsoft Tag

bgauth — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:47:00 GMT

As a passionate water sport guy J, I'm glad to share that Wakeboarding Magazine is using Microsoft Tag on the cover of the April issue. By using Microsoft Tag, subscribers get access to some exclusive wakeboarding content with a quick snap on the Tag from wherever they could be: a train, coffee shop…

Jason Bingham, Associate Publisher for Wakeboarding Magazine takes time to reply to our questions:

Who are you? Can you introduce yourself?

Jason Bingham

Associate Publisher

Wakeboarding Magazine

Introduce your Mag?

Our tagline is "the worldwide leader in wake"

We were the first print publication for and about wakeboarding and have the largest readership and widest reach of any wake publication, worldwide.

How did you discover Microsoft Tag?

Article on Mashable.com

Why did you decide to use Microsoft Tag on your mag?

I was able to set up a free account and test it really easily. I also like the ability to embed photos/graphics behind the Tag.

What is behind the Wakeboarding Mag cover Tag?

A video of the pro wakeboarder that is featured on our April issue's cover.

The video was shot specifically for use with the Tag and can only be seen by using the Tag.

What's next with Tag?

We are currently laying out our May issue and are incorporating Tag into more of the editorial as well as opening it up to advertisers to feature in their ads.

Something to add about Microsoft Tag?

Truly see this technology as a simple and convenient "bridge" between print and digital content for consumers. I'm envisioning it working well for inclusion in content delivered via print but also am going to be putting one with a vcard link on the back of my business card, am recommending to clients that they put them on boxes and hang tags with product at retail and can see event applications as well.

If you have Microsoft Tag stories to share, please feel free to contact us via our Twitter account or our Facebook Fan Page.

Microsoft Tag Reader for Google Android available

bgauth — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:10:50 GMT

My cup of coffee in the morning is always accompanied by a dive into our active online Microsoft Tag community. I thoroughly recommend it— it’s an inspiring way to start the day, finding out how people are really using, and enjoying, Tag in action.

Mixed amongst the Tag chatter is typically a comment or two from people who want to use Microsoft Tag Reader, but don’t yet have access via their mobile phone platform. This keeps us on our toes as we work to meet our commitment of ensuring that all Smartphone users can access Tag. We’re nearly there with the Tag Reader already working with the major mobile platforms – Windows Mobile, J2ME, iPhone, Blackberry and Symbian S60 phones.

My morning coffee tastes a little sweeter today because we continue to expand the availability of Microsoft Tag and added our Tag Reader for Google Android - it is now available for download directly from the Android Market on your Android phone by searching for ‘Microsoft Tag’. I’d like to welcome all new users to the Microsoft Tag community.

It’s important to give more people access to Tag because there’s huge demand for reliable mobile barcoding – businesses and consumers are eager to find creative ways to use their phone and hyperlink the real world. We want to make this easier, so over the next few months we’re making changes to our website — such as including many more ways to learn about and experience Tag and get inspired by how others are using Tag today — to help better meet the needs of our Tag community. Really looking forward to hearing your feedback if there is anything we should add to the experience. Thanks for all of your support so far!

Try Microsoft Tag now by scanning this Tag:

If you have any questions, feel free to reach us via Twitter, Facebook and Getsat.

Update 3/4: We’d like to share some great coverage concerning this announcement we had today:

Techcrunch:http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/03/microsoft-android-app/
BBC: Microsoft offers first Google Android mobile phone app
Gizmodo: Microsoft Gives Android the Free Barcode-Reading Tag App
Engadget: Tag: Microsoft's first Android app is it
SlashGear: Microsoft makes its official move onto Android platform
Mashable: Microsoft's First App for Android is Called Tag
Ars Technica (Just ETC link): Microsoft Tag is now available for Google Android: search for it on the Android Market
Inquirer: Microsoft develops for Android
Softpedia: Microsoft Launches Tag Reader for Android
eCommerce Journal: Microsoft is now present on the Android platform!
Android Community (blog): Microsoft releases first app for Android platform
Pocket-lint.com: Microsoft releases first Android app
GoMo News: Microsoft's very first Android application is a mobile barcode reader
Electronista: Microsoft launches first Android app

If you want to experiment more Tag with your phone, check out:

Benjamin Gauthey – Microsoft Tag